Photo of Mother Goose sitting on her Contra Costa Times’ rooftop nest last year in March of 2009.

We expect her 7 ducklings to jump off the roof sometime today, at the urging of their Mother Goose (she flies down to the ground and calls them). They jump … their tiny 2-oz. bodies are covered by a thick coating of protective fluffy down that will protect them and absorb their fall. But just in case, some of us from the Times’ newsroom will be stationed below, each holding a corner of a large blanket, to try and catch the ducklings as they fall. It will be a bit of a scramble, like the “Keystone Cops,” but we’ll do our best. Even without our help, Mother Goose has raised about 30 goslings over the last 5 years, and all have survived the jump.

Then they will follow Mama to a nearby pond, where she and the male goose will start the long job of raising and teaching their chicks how to survive in the world. We watch this every year and it still continues to amaze us.

question: There is an eagle nest by Hwy 20/26 in Boise Idaho. A goose is nesting there. The nest is on top of a very high pole (like electric pole)can the chick survive the fall? can they fly? The will probably die it’s very sad.